Plant-based meat specialist Heura Foods is expanding into several new categories, aiming to ‘transform’ foods that commonly sit within the ‘ultra-processed food’ (UPF) category and provide more nutrient-dense alternatives.

The Spanish start-up has developed a patent-pending technology that can replace additives, modified starches and saturated fats with plant proteins and healthy lipids, using thermo-mechnical techniques to achieve significantly enhanced textures.

At the Future Food Tech event in London, UK, Heura unveiled its first prototypes of cheese, snacks and pasta leveraging the new tech.

In addition to a range of high-protein, clean label cold cuts, it demonstrated a new plant-based cheese designed to provide a creamy and rich texture, with 20% protein content and low saturated fat. It also showcased a pasta innovation containing over 50% protein and a 74% reduction in carbohydrates, said to offer uncompromised texture and cooking performance while significantly boosting nutritional value.

Marc Coloma, CEO and co-founder at Heura Foods, said: “Rather than focusing solely on new ingredients, we need better technologies for product design”.

“Who wouldn’t want to replace excess saturated fats, simple carbohydrates and unnecessary additives with nutrient-dense products made from plant proteins and healthy lipids? And we can do this by leveraging readily available, consumer-friendly ingredients that require no regulatory approval.”

Coloma added that within the next nine months, six additional patents to cover more food categories with these principles are expected, aligning with Heura’s goal to ‘disrupt the UPF categories’.

In addition to driving Heura’s innovation pipeline, the new technology will also be available for licensing by other companies through business partnerships.

“These new technologies are set to transform current food production methods, but their real power lies in scaling efficiently and adapting to regional consumer preferences. That’s why we’re forging partnerships with industry leaders to accelerate a change that no one can drive alone,” Coloma commented.

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